Dr. Scott Cuthbert: Ergonomics of sitting

The Nitty Gritty of Sitting

Millions of people who earn their living while sitting needlessly endure excessive pain, stress and strain as they perform their daily tasks. Many people feel that pain, stress and strain are necessary evils in today’s “high-tech, space-age-a-go-go society. While these complaints are common, they are not normal or necessary!

You need not suffer while you sit! Too few people realize that by making small adjustments to their office setting or by taking stress-reducing exercise breaks, many of the aches and pains associated with sedentary work can be cured.

Take a Micro Break

Before trying this Micro Break, be sure and check your chair for stability so that you never tip over!

Lean back in your chair and stretch your arms up and your legs out. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Close your eyes, smile, breathe in deeply and out slowly for one full refreshing minute. Cross your legs and lean forward, deeply, for 30 seconds or more on each side. Place your arms above your head and stretch for the roof and the wall in front of you...breathe deeply in these positions.

Do these stretches every hour or so throughout the day or whenever you begin to feel stiff.

In the minute it takes to perform this micro break, you released the lock of your visual and mental tasks, stretched away the muscle tension built up in your pelvis and lower spine, and refreshed your body with extra oxygen by expanding your rib cage. You also improved your posture as well as the circulation of blood through your legs and back to your heart. All this in 60 seconds! But wait…there’s more!

The real nitty gritty of sitting is in the environment you work in every day. Poor lighting, incorrectly adjusted chairs, computer keyboards are the cause of many worker complaints of eye strain, back and neck and shoulder and arm pain.

If you frequently use a keyboard, it is better to keep your elbows close to your body and your wrists parallel to the keyboard. By not bending forward, backward, inward or outward, you reduce the strain on the wrists, forearm muscles and ensure better positioning of your upper arms, shoulders and neck. Reduce wrist strain by avoiding extension of your wrists and by preventing your wrists from pointing outward while keying.
Your eyes need frequent vision breaks to minimize strain.
Neck pain can be reduced by adjusting the work station to fit your body so that your head is not unnecessarily tilted or rotated. Taking periodic micro breaks to move and exercise your neck, shoulders, arms and upper back are essential to counteract the effects of head tilting.
An answer to fatigue is exercise. Stretch and move during your scheduled breaks and take several micro breaks throughout your day.

Even in our high-tech society, human performance remains a key goal in life. Rising health care costs and high turnover jobs are forcing businesses to consider methods and programs designed to develop healthy workplaces and healthy workers.

There are many simple things outlined in this letter that can get you started toward a healthier, more productive you!

Common Sense